No. 202October 2001

In This Issue

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several conservation organizations have reached an agreement that will speed up federal protections for 29 animal and plant species proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The preliminary agreement, reached with the Center for Biological Diversity, Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project, California Native Plant Society, and the Biodiversity Legal Foundation, will allow the agency to issue final listing decisions for 14 species and propose eight more species for listing. Funds were made available for these actions by extending the deadlines for eight other critical habitat designations. "I hope this can be a model for future agreements," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said.

The agency is considering the emergency listing of three rare species: the Tumbling Creek cavesnail, which has declined precipitously in the single cave in Missouri where it is found; the pygmy rabbit of Washington, with fewer than 50 individuals, separated from other pygmy rabbit populations for thousands of years; and the Carson wandering skipper butterfly, Pseudocopaeodes eunus, the only one in it genus, found in grassland habitats on alkaline substrates in Nevada and California.

The Department of the Interior and the conservation organizations are still negotiating a written settlement document. "All parties to this agreement ultimately want the same thing to conserve and recover threatened and endangered species," said Marshall Jones, the acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agreement will then be reviewed and approved by the Interior and Justice Departments before it is finalized and presented to the courts.

Species affected by the agreement include:

Ohlone tiger beetle of California, found only in Santa Cruz County, threatened by habitat fragmentation and habitat degradation due to invasion of non-native vegetation. Only five populations of Ohlone tiger beetles are known to exist.

Spalding's catchfly of Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada, a member of the carnation family, threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation, grazing by livestock, and competition from non-native plant species.

Showy stickseed, Washingtons rarest plant, known from only one location in Chelan County, threatened by fire suppression and competition with non-native plant species.

The San Diego ambrosia, restricted to San Diego and Riverside Counties, California and Baja California, Mexico, threatened by destruction, fragmentation, and degradation of habitat caused by recreational and commercial development and off-road vehicle use.

Mountain yellow-legged frog of Southern California, reduced to only a few isolated remnants in the San Gabriel, San Jacinto, and San Bernardino Mountains. Hypothesized causes of the decline include predation from introduced trout or possibly by air pollution.

Coastal Cutthroat trout of Washington and Oregon, declined to near extinction in two rivers, due to habitat loss and incidental harvesting.

Buena Vista Lake ornate shrew of California, with no more than 38 individuals observed since their rediscovery in 1986, threatened by agricultural activities and possible selenium poisoning.

Chiricahua leopard frog of Arizona and New Mexico, now absent from many historical localities, threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation, predation by non-native organisms, and disease.

Scaleshell mussel of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, known from 13 streams, with decreasing population size due to habitat loss and water quality degradation.

Vermilion darter of Alabama, found in less than 8 miles of creeks in Jefferson County, and faces many threats, including altered stream dynamics, excessive sedimentation, and agricultural runoff pollutants.

Mississippi gopher frog of Mississippi, known from only one site in Harrison County, Mississippi, with a population of 100 frogs, threatened by habitat fragmentation and destruction from nearby residential development and road construction.

Golden sedge of North Carolina, known from only eight populations in Pender and Onslow counties, threatened by habitat alteration due to residential, commercial, and industrial development, mining, and suppression of fire.

Holmgren milk-vetch, known from three small populations in Washington County, Utah, and adjacent Mohave County, Arizona. Shivwits milk-vetch, known from five small populations in Washington County, Utah. Both species face habitat disturbance from urban development, off-road vehicles, grazing, displacement by exotic weeds, and mineral development.

Looking for a nice close-up of a bark beetle to show your forestry class? Need a shot of bamboo or acacia for your educational Webpage? Look no further than Forestry Images <http://www.forestryimages.org/> for people teaching forestry, ecology, or similar topics. A joint venture by the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Georgia, Forestry Images holds nearly 4,500 color jpeg images of forest plants, insects, silvicultural practices, invasive organisms, and general natural scenes. Each image page includes a catalog number, Latin and vernacular nomenclature, and photographer's name. Images can be viewed and downloaded in a variety of sizes, but only registered members can access images with a resolution of 1536x1024 pixels or above (registration is free). All images are copyrighted by The University of Georgia, may only be used for nonprofit, educational purposes, and must bear appropriate citations.

The Green Landscaping with Native Plants <http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/> web site is maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office. Primarily designed for the Great Lakes region, it has useful information applicable nationwide. Highlights include a tool kit for local governments to promote the use of native plants, a law review article on municipal weed laws, an outstanding native plant CD by Springfield Township, Michigan, a handbook with how-to information for homeowners, case studies, fact sheets, and more. This site is especially useful for those wanting to integrate native plants into a landscape and for advocates promoting the use of native plants.

Demaster, D.P., Fowler, C.W., Perry, S.L., and Richlen, M.E. 2001. Predation and competition: the impact of fisheries on marine-mammal populations over the next one hundred years. J. Mammal. 82(3):641-651.

Lunney, D. 2001. Causes of the extinction of native mammals of the Western Division of New South Wales: an ecological interpretation of the nineteenth century historical record. Rangeland J. 23(1):44-70.